Turmoil
by WinterSoulstis
Summary: Everyone has something that they cherish above all else. Something they would gladly give their life to protect; whether it be an ideal, a memory, a place, or a person. Even a God. OCxPein/Nagato
1. The Past and the Future

_An eighteen year old kunoichi stood as a faded image, frozen stiff, unable to act, and forced to watch her seven year old self run through a dark dense forest. Kunai whizzed by the little girl, several hitting their mark. She tripped and fell, crying out as she hit the hard ground. The older version flinched at the sight but otherwise remained motionless. Even if she wanted to act there was nothing she could do._

_The child began to cry; causing her vision to blur. Tears mixed in with the rain and soil, staining her torn clothes. Her short bright red hair was caked with mud and dried blood- some belonging to her and some belonging to her pursuers. Luck was partly on her side for she had managed to wound a couple of them. The sound of the crunching of leaves and twigs broke her from her daze and caused her eyes to widen._

_She scrambled to get up, but it was already too late. They had reached her. Her orange eyes glossed over with fear. "Leave me alone! I'm not going back to that place! I'll never go back, not as long as they're still there!" The little girl cried in desperation as they grabbed her and pulled her roughly to her feet._

_"Too bad princess, but you're far too precious to be let loose," the man who was holding on to her declared. "And far too dangerous," he added as an afterthought. She glanced fearfully up at him only to find a look of contempt plastered on his features. More tears ran down her dirty face. That look. Always that same look. She had never asked for any of it, she hadn't done anything to deserve it. They're the ones that started it all. It was their fault to begin with. It's true that she would have been special even if they hadn't done it; so why did they? And why her? Why did they choose the Water when there were four others to choose from? It was forced onto her as a child and __**she**__ would have to deal with the consequences her entire life- however long, or short, that may be._

_"That's right," the second man butted in, "As long our clan lives you'll never be able to leave. After all, you __**are**__ one of their greatest experiments. He smirked coldly as he finished. It was a smirk the girl knew all too well._

_"No!" She screamed and resumed to struggle; trying with all her might to break free from the ninja's iron grip. She bit, she clawed, she kicked – nothing had any effect. The man laughed at her futile attempts as he dragged the helpless child back in the direction she had run from._

* * *

><p><em>When they reached the compound the man threw the girl to the ground as if she was a burden he was glad to be rid of. She cried out in pain: a sound everyone present was accustomed to. Only the adult members were awaiting her arrival – every single child had been herded back into their houses so as to not be "contaminated" by what they brought back: her. She shivered due to a mixture of fear for what she knew was coming and the coldness of the ground and rain. Their only response was to keep staring in the normal pitiless fashion. Nothing was <em>_**ever**__ going to change._

_"__Get up," a voice emanating from the centre of the crowd demanded. She scurried to her feet obediently, knowing full well the consequences of disobeying. The voice belonged to the leader of the Hikiri clan: her father._

_Apparently, being obedient wasn't enough this time. He back handed the little girl, sending her flying into one of the nearby gate posts. The breath was violently knocked out of her. She was too tired from her earlier escape attempt to fight back any longer so the only thing she could do was try to reason with them to lesson her punishment. "Please father, I just-"_

_"__Don't you dare call me that," he growled. "You are not my daughter." Her pupils contracted in fear, acknowledging what would happen next. The shinobi from earlier took that as a cue to begin the punishment for running away._

_First came kicks to the ribs and back. Then, lashes from a whip dipped in a special solution that would prevent her blood from clotting. The crimson liquid flowed freely over the remnants of her tattered shirt, staining the bandages clumsily wrapped around her older and still unhealed injuries. Mud and rain ran over her fresh wounds making them sting unbearably._

_She wouldn't be able to stay conscience much longer, but fainting would only make things worse. She was allowed no relief, even in unconsciousness. The last time she had let the darkness engulf her she had woken up in a rusted cage dangling over several summoned, food deprived wolves._

_Through the pain the child managed to look up at her so-called "family". A different man was now approaching her mutilated body, a red hot sword in hand. With the last of her strength she cried out, hoping, in vain, that someone, anyone, would hear her and help. But no one came, no one in Kumogakure responded. The village remained in its indifferent state. The man drew nearer and was almost upon her. He raised the sword and swung it downwards._

_The older version couldn't take it anymore – she clutched her head in between her clammy hands and echoed the blood curdling scream._

The teen screamed, sitting up in her bed. She was shaking all over and sweaty; she took steady breaths to try to calm herself. Every year on the same night she would have that same dream, but that didn't lessen its effects on her. Doing her best to slow her rapid heart rate, she checked the clock next to her bed. "Great... It's only three in the morning and after that dream I can never go back to sleep... I might as well get ready and train," she reasoned while she threw the blue covers off and placed a bare foot on the cold wooden floor.

After turning on the light, the red haired girl walked into her bathroom and prepared herself for a shower. Thanks to that dream, nightmare would be a better description, her entire body was soaked in sweat. She stepped into the shower and ran a hand through her hip length hair as she turned the knob for hot water. As the steamy water washed over her body she felt her muscles unclench, causing her to sigh contently. This was exactly what she needed.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later the refreshed teen was already out the door and positioning herself onto the railing. She jumped down from her second story apartment and landed softly on the dirt.<p>

Konohagakure was dark and without a single person in sight. Not that she had expected any different, after all, it wasn't even four in the morning yet. She set her course to the old training grounds.

It didn't take long for her to reach the wide open area. This early in the morning, most people were still asleep so it was the perfect time to try mastering the new jutsu she was working on. Especially since if it worked right it should be able to devastate a wide area.

She decided that she shouldn't use her techniques close to the village so the teen went far into the forest passing several training grounds and wooden dummies. About five kilometres away from most of the buildings, she stopped. Looking around she figured this was far enough and began to call upon her chakra.

* * *

><p>She had only been training for thirty minutes when she sensed someone behind her. She quickly dispersed her chakra so she wouldn't cause accidental injury and spun around to scan the surrounding trees. Her eyes landed on a blue eyed figure leaning casually against one of the tall tree trunks.<p>

The scarlet haired teen tilted her head to the side in a questioning manner. "What are you doing here?" she asked, knowing full well just how busy he was. Or at least, supposed to be. "It's so early, you shouldn't be up."

He ruffled his blonde hair and walked toward the panting girl. "It's that time of the year again – I thought you should have some company." The eighteen year old smiled softly at her closest friend as he made his way towards her.

"You don't have to. What about your duties? Your te-"

"Must I repeat myself?" he sighed. This was a common conversation between the two, the girl always tried to push away concern for herself, and her friends, especially him, always told her off for it. "My duties take second place when it comes to those close to me."

"I'm pretty sure that's not the attitude a -" he cut her off again, this time by placing his hand over her mouth to prevent her from continuing.

"Let's enjoy this time together before I have to go back to work, alright?"

When it seemed like she wouldn't protest he moved his hand to her shoulder. He then used his free hand to point out the sun that had just started to rise. "Isn't this just like old times Arei?" he questioned, reminiscing about when they were younger.

"Yeah, Minato, just like old times." Arei replied. "Or should I be calling you "sensei" now?"

He laughed, "Minato is just fine." The scarlet haired girl smiled before turning her attention to the spectacular sunrise just as rays came over the Hokage mountain.

They watched the whole thing together before Minato had to go meet up with his team. Arei then spent the rest of the day training, taking only a couple small breaks to eat. She was completely exhausted by the end of the day and collapsed in her bed gratefully.

* * *

><p>A few weeks passed since Arei's morning meeting with Minato. She had just returned from a B-ranked mission and was now unpacking her bag. She glanced at her right arm as it came into her field of vision; the symbol was covered by her uniform's sleeves, but even if she couldn't actually see it, she could never forget that it was there, hiding just out of sight. That marking was one of the reasons she never wore anything that had sleeves shorter than three quarters. At least, she wouldn't until she found a way to get the damn thing removed. Although, considering its purpose, it would probably be better to keep it for the rest of her life.<p>

Sighing, she pulled out the last thing from her pack, and stared at it intently: her anbu mask. She had to admit the choice of animal for it was interesting to say the least. With a wry smile she placed it down on her nightstand. Brushing aside her bag, she stretched out on the bed.

Her thoughts wandered as she closed her eyes. There were so many things on her mind; like how lately the Third Hokage had decided she should take it easy and stay behind to protect the village instead of putting her skills to good use in thinning down the number of their thought back to the Hokage and how he was originally planning to keep her inside the village at all times but after a bunch of arguing and protesting he gave in to letting her take only lower level missions. Honestly, she was impressed she had managed to squeeze out a B rank from the guy.

She sighed. She almost wished that something major would happen so she could finally be sent out to the front lines again: almost.

* * *

><p>By the time Arei was done contemplating everything, it was still only noon and now she had nothing to do. Going through several options in her head she decided on the one that sounded the most fun: seeking out Team Minato. As long as they weren't outside the village border there shouldn't be any problems. After making up her mind, she refilled her holders with weapons and headed out.<p>

When the scarlet haired teen arrived at the training grounds, she looked around but only saw genin. Training ground time was divided between all the ninja teams, but genin took top priority since they needed the most practice. That meant that she wouldn't be able to find them here. She frowned and scratched her head, so then, where were they? Shrugging, she left the area and went to look somewhere else.

* * *

><p>She looked for over an hour and was just about to give up when she spotted someone with silver hair through the trees. A smile broke out on her face as she hurried to where she thought she saw the white blur. Dodging trees as she ran she quickly came upon a clearing in the forest where her favourite team was currently training.<p>

She didn't bother to mask her presence so they noticed her right away.

"Great," the young white haired ninja sighed. "She's back again."

"Come on Kakashi! You really don't have to be like that," Arei jokingly whined, "It's not like I'm going to prevent you from training or something..."

"Tch."

After that small amount of dialogue Kakashi went back to ignoring the scarlet haired kunoichi and continued to practice with a new jutsu he was working on. Arei watched in awe as he concentrated his chakra to his arm and tried to induce an element change. Sadly, it failed and blew up in his face, kicking up chunks of the ground and sending him flying into one of the many trees. The blow was so bad it warped the trunk. Kakashi acted like nothing had happened and went right back to trying to perfect the technique.

It wasn't long until Rin ran over to her hurt teammate to heal him. He refused her assistance and just kept on focusing his chakra. She frowned at this but heeded his words and went back to her own training.

Obito was training by himself as well. He was practising his kunai skills, both offensive and defensive. In his area he had several traps rigged to send senbon, shuriken and kunai flying at him. The goal was to knock away as many as he could and dodge what he couldn't hit while he ran towards their origin. Once he reached that point he was to disable the traps as quickly as possible. There were scratches all over him from his earlier failed attempts.

Arei watched them train for a while. Though they were only a few years younger than her, their levels were entirely different, although, there was great potential in the Hatake kid.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for the girl to become restless. Watching people train was entertaining and all, but what she wouldn't give to be out on a S or even A rank mission. She shifted her weight around restlessly. She liked a break as much as the next guy, but knowing that even if she wanted to, she couldn't go out on a mission any time soon was really wearing down on her nerves.<p>

Minato noticed her fidgeting and smiled. "You don't have to stay and watch you know," he commented, glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes.

Immediately she stopped her fidgeting and sighed. "The sad thing is," she began, "this is probably the most entertaining thing I can do under the circumstances."

"You mean the war?"

"Yeah... I've been restricted to the village and a couple low ranking missions if I'm lucky. My last one was the first in almost a month..."

"Must be hell for you – I know how badly you want to go out there and prove yourself."

She shrugged. "I'm sure there are worst things." The blond raised a questioning eyebrow. "Not that I can think of any at the moment..." He laughed; now that was the Arei he knew.

She was just about to question why he was laughing when some cawing interrupted her. They both looked up to see a hawk circling above them. A black hawk. It was an emergency summon for all jounin and higher level ninja. Minato excused himself and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Arei took out her mask and replaced it on her face before disappearing as well.

* * *

><p>She appeared shortly after and kneeled before the Hokage along with all other high level ninja present in the village. He called for them to rise and everyone obeyed simultaneously. Glancing around she noticed that most wore serious expressions not unlike her own. A call from a black hawk was rare and it meant that something horrible was about to happen, if it hadn't already.<p>

Sandaime had a solemn expression as he addressed the crowd. "My friends, I was hoping it wouldn't come to this." A murmur passed through the crowd. This didn't sound good at all. "The Third Shinobi World War has taken a turn for the worst." Gasps met his words.

Arei couldn't believe it. Sure things were bad, but people were hopeful that this one would end quicker than the last one. One war after another; no one truly wanted to keep fighting. She broke out of her thoughts and bit her lower lip as the Hokage continued.

"Iwagakure has infiltrated deep into Kusagakure and it is now time for us to act. From the shinobi we have left, half of you will be deployed latter this evening while the other half will be on standby inside the village but should be ready to mobilize in a moment's notice. Anbu squad 5 and 13 stay here, everyone else is dismissed." At the wave of a hand from the Hokage everyone dispersed. Minato caught Arei's eye before leaving. She was one of the eight who were requested to stay behind. A silent word passed between them that they would meet up later tonight, before any of them had to set out.

"I have different missions for your squads," Sarutobi continued, "Squad 5 step forward." They did as instructed. "You will leave immediately to kill off any Iwa stranglers that have separated from the main group. You need to thin their numbers as much as possible before I send out our remaining forces. Pack your bags – there's no time to waste." They gave a nod before disappearing. Now only Arei's squad was left.

The Hokage's eyes scanned the four remaining members before speaking once again. "Your mission will be a little different. Instead of going to Kusagakure like the others, you'll be heading to the Land of Rivers to secure our borders with the Land of Wind and to make sure that Suna won't interfere, we don't want to worry about all of our borders at once."

"What?!" exclaimed a male anbu with a bird mask decorated with swirling lines of red and dark blue. Arei instantly recognized the voice as belonging to Jun. "Excuse my outburst Lord Hokage, but I'm sure I'd be more useful out on the front lines! My techniques-"

He was cut off by the anbu beside him sticking out her hand in front of his face. "Ignore him Lord Hokage, we'll do as we were told."

"But-" Jun tried to speak but was interrupted by a smack to the head.

"We'll leave right away." She now turned to acknowledge the remainder of the team, "We'll meet in half an hour at the front gates." She bowed to the Hokage, who had a small smile on his face from their antics, before disappearing.

The other member wearing a boar mask with blue and black crossing lines sighed. "Good job Jun, you've gotten the captain angry before we've even started the mission." Arei could tell Jun was smiling even with the mask on. She gave a small smile of her own before bowing out.

* * *

><p>Five minutes later Arei had everything packed and was on her way to meet with Minato one last time. She readjusted the mask on her face almost nervously before stopping under a big oak tree at the boundary of the village that served as their usual meeting spot. Minato was already waiting for her and she noticed that he wore a solemn expression. The anbu member went to remove her mask but Minato waved it off, saying that there was no point. She dropped her hand and sighed for the umpteenth time that day.<p>

The blond leaned calmly against the tree, just like usual. He pulled out a kunai and twirled it absentmindedly as he started to speak. "I'm not being sent out right away, but I take it you are?" She gave a curt nod. "Well then, I've got something for you." She tilted her head to the side in a questioning manner.

He caught his kunai by the tip and held it out for the red haired teen to take. Now that it had stopped moving she noticed it wasn't an ordinary kunai. It had three blades instead of one and on the handle was some kind of marker. She stared at it with a confused expression but took it nonetheless.

"That marker allows me to hone in on the kunai's location, letting me teleport there easily," he explained with a smile. "This way, I'll be able to help you if you ever get into too much trouble."

"I'm a big girl," she protested, "I can take care of myself."

"I know you can, but I'll feel better knowing I'd be able to help if you ever need me." She blinked. A gentle smile broke out on her face behind her mask before she pulled him into a tight hug. He hugged her back.

They soon broke apart and he ruffled her hair as he said his goodbye before disappearing. Arei waved at his retreating back. She stood by herself for another minute until she too departed.

She arrived at the main gate in a matter of minutes. She sweatdropped when she noticed she was the last to arrive. "Sorry I'm late...?" she apologized half-heartedly. Although they had another 10 minutes before they were supposed to meet it seemed that everyone was anxious to begin as soon as possible and so they had arrived before schedule.

"Now that Arei is here, we can set off," the leader announced as she put away the scroll she had been reading.

Jun laughed as Arei caught up with the group. "I thought it was my thing to always be the last one." Arei resisted the urge to stick her tongue out, knowing that it would only be met with the hard plastic of her mask.

"It makes for a nice change of pace," stated the fourth member of the team as he shifted his boar mask to give him better vision.

"You can talk all you want once we're on the road but for now shut the hell up and move out," the cat masked anbu called from a little ways away.

Jun rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Sumiko is in a bad mood isn't she?"

Arei shrugged and followed their leader past Konoha's gates. Their mission had officially begun.


	2. Wartime Strife

Jumping from branch to branch, the anbu squad kept their fast pace. Sumiko was in the lead with the rest of the team close behind. None of them had started lagging yet even though they had been travelling for several hours already and they would keep going for several more.

Arei rubbed her temples in a circular motion. Jun had been complaining for the past hour and it was getting to her. A groan from the branches above confirmed that she wasn't the only one getting annoyed.

Jun heard the groan and smirked. "Something wrong Hotaru?" he taunted.

"Would you just shut for a while?!" Said anbu demanded. "You're the exact opposite an anbu member should be. They're supposed to be cool, calm, and calculating."

"I think I've heard that before," Arei mused, joining into the conversation since she had nothing better to do. "The three C Code for anbus, or something like that. They taught it during training didn't they?"

"I've never heard of it," Jun stated.

"Quit talking back there!" Sumiko's voice from in front of them commanded. "And pick up the pace, you're falling behind." Arei blinked. She hadn't even noticed that they had slowed down. Apparently talking really did syphon off energy that could be used for travelling. That realization kept them quiet for the remainder of the day.

* * *

><p>Night was just beginning to fall when Sumiko finally allowed the team to rest. Jun collapsed the second she said he could. He moved to remove the mask that was growing uncomfortable but a hand stopped him.<p>

"You know that's against the rules," Sumiko advised.

"We're all friends here though, aren't we? Whats it matter if you guys see my face?" Jun asked as he messed with his brown hair. Nonetheless, he removed his hand. "I mean it's not like you're going to turn-"

"We're not friends." That stopped him mid-sentence. "I am merely your leader, nothing more, nothing less."

Arei frowned. "Isn't that a little harsh?" she questioned. Hotaru nodded his agreement but otherwise remained silent. He knew better than to join into the escalating conversation.

"It's not harsh," Sumiko snapped, "It's the truth and if he can't understand this simple concept he's not fit to be called anbu. Our standards really have dropped since you Arei."

Said ninja's eyes widened. "Don't say that!" she cried. She didn't like where this was going one bit.

Sumiko ignored her and continued lecturing Jun, "You may be our newest member but an anbu is supposed to act the exact opposite of you. We have to follow a strict code of conduct and leave our emotions at the gate; this is even more important for us than regular shinobi."

"But being emotionless isn't always a good thing!" Jun countered. "Emotions can fuel your power- when your friends are-"

"Don't be a fool!" she interjected. "It's like you didn't pay attention at all during your anbu training. The only reason you're on this team is because Yusuke was killed a few months ago. In fact, that's the only reason you're an anbu at all-"

"That's going too far!" Arei exclaimed. She glanced at Jun expecting some sort of comeback, after all, he was the kind of guy who always wanted the last word. She grew concerned when he didn't speak up right away.

Jun was utterly silent. What Sumiko said was getting to him. He was starting to doubt himself for the first time in his life, and he didn't like the feeling one bit. Arei noticed the change in his mood and tried to lighten things up. "Look, we're all on edge because of the situation right now and to top it off we're tired from the nonstop running. The sun and growing heat didn't help much either so let's just relax while we can and-"

"Enough of this." The anbu leader barked as she turned away from the rest of the team. "Get some rest- that's an order."

"Yes ma'am," the other three recited, somewhat dejectedly.

Hotaru and Jun went over to a tall pine to set up their camp which left Arei to go catch up with their captain. She wasn't looking forward to it after their conversation earlier, but she knew that they'd have to get along for this mission to be a success. Reluctantly, she made her way to where Sumiko had already set up her bed.

As she approached the green haired woman she tried to lessen the tension. "Hotaru said something about needing a peaceful night for a change so I'm going to be with you, hope you don't mind. Though I wonder if I should feel insulted... I can't see how being with Jun is a "peaceful" night. I heard from a couple of his friends that he snores."

"It doesn't matter- actually, it may be better this way," she said. It seemed like she had calmed down somewhat but there was still an unmistakable edge to her voice.

"I'll take the first watch," Arei offered.

"No," Sumiko countered, "I'll do it. I need some time to clear my head anyway." The scarlet haired anbu shrugged and got herself comfortable. Maybe some clear night air would help soothe things over between Sumiko and Jun. Arei took one last glance at her captain's back before drifting off into a light sleep.

* * *

><p>A few hours had passed since Jun had fallen asleep and it was now much quieter. Hotaru sighed in content, he could actually hear his own thoughts again. Along with his thoughts, he could also hear other sounds; crickets, bats, and the rustle of leaves. The tranquillity of the night was a welcomed relief from the hot sun and awkward silence they had encountered during the day.<p>

He stood up and stretched. Though he was supposed to wake Jun up for his shift soon, a walk was something he desperately needed.

It didn't take long for him to reach a denser section of the forest. He paused once he reached it. It probably wasn't the best idea for him to be leaving Jun unguarded, even if Sumiko and Arei were close by. Sighing, he turned to head back to the campsite but found his way blocked. A growl emanated from his throat as he shifted into a battle stance. He had been so caught up in all the soothing sounds of the forest that he had completely overlooked the extra rustling that announced the enemy's presence. He strained his eyes to try to catch a glimpse of the shinobi in the darkness.

A rush of wind from behind him alerted Hotaru to the enemy's location. He quickly grabbed a kunai and blocked the oncoming attack. "Shouldn't you be having your beauty sleep right about now?" Hotaru taunted. "And judging by the looks of you, you really need it." Getting his opponents riled up was one of his favourite strategies; the angrier they were, the less rational they were- which always created openings he could use for attacks. If that failed then burning everything to a crisp was his second choice.

The enemy ninja growled in annoyance and went for the kill again, forming rapid hand signs. Hotaru was only able to catch the bird, dog, and dragon seals, but that was enough to give him an idea of what he was up against. He dodged to the side in time to narrowly avoid being hit by a blast of slicing wind.

"Suna ninja eh? What are you doing here? I thought you guys had your own problems at the border to the Land of Rain," Hotaru commented as he prepared his own hand seals.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu," he called as he breathed out to send a large wave of flames toward the sand shinobi. Said shinobi ducked behind a tree for cover but was not quite fast enough. He still got his right side caught in the blast.

He cried out in pain and cursed. This Konoha anbu was more trouble than he first thought. Turned out he would need that his leader's help after all. He growled at the realization that he would never be able to live it down, but, that was still better than death.

"You got lucky Konoha scum- just you wait 'til I catch my breath," the Suna ninja called out to Hotaru before he retreated into the dead of night.

Hotaru breathed a sigh of relief as he replaced his kunai in his pouch and headed back towards where he left his comrades. Sumiko would want to know about this attempted attack right away. He paused when another figure blocked his way.

"What the hell kind of wakeup call was that?!" the figure demanded. He stepped into the moonlight to reveal that it was in fact Jun, and he didn't look so good. His brown hair was singed in several places and his bird mask was blackened on the left side.

"What the hell happened to you?" Hotaru asked his disgruntled teammate.

"You can't be serious!" Jun exclaimed. His words were only met with a blank stare. "Your god damned jutsu hit me square in the face! You are soooo lucky that it had lost most of its power by the time it reached me!" He brought his fist up in preparation to return the favour- a bruised eye would suit Hotaru very well right about now. "I think I deserve a free hit for the emotional distress you've caused me."

"Emotional distress?" Hotaru questioned with a raised eyebrow. Jun growled in response. "Anyway, it's not like I meant it- that damn guy moved at the last second."

Jun paused in the middle of his punch, "Guy? What guy?"

"The one that attacked me. He was from Suna and it sounded like this won't be the last time I'll see him."

"Ah crap man! We've got to tell Sumiko right away!" Jun turned on the spot and dashed back to where the girls were. Hotaru followed behind at a leisurely pace. This was going to be a long night.

When they got back to the campsite Jun immediately rushed to where Sumiko stood guard. He roused the sleeping Arei as Hotaru recounted what had just happened. With every word the green haired woman grew tenser and tenser. When Hotaru finished she could no longer contain her rage.

"Why the hell did it take you so long to inform me of this?!" Sumiko demanded. Jun just scratched the back of his head and uttered a sheepish laugh.

Arei stretched her arms in front of her and yawned. "I take it this means nap time is over."

"Pack everything up- we're leaving now."

"But the sun hasn't even risen yet," Jun complained. He wanted nothing more than to nurse his poor hair and face and to get some more shut eye.

Sumiko growled, "We don't have time for your childish whining- when I say now, I mean NOW."

Jun hmped but went to pack his bag either way. Hotaru followed behind him.

Arei sighed. She hadn't even had her turn standing guard which meant that Sumiko had gotten no sleep at all. If only they hadn't had that argument earlier then Sumiko's shift would have been half the time and she would have at least gotten an hour or two of much needed sleep. Arei knew from experience that little sleep equalled a weakened captain and that would only make the team and their mission suffer.

* * *

><p>It was now midday and amazingly they were yet to catch another glimpse of any Suna shinobi. They travelled in silence- the kind of silence one fell into when they were too busy concentrating to waste any energy on words. Glancing wearily from side to side Arei groaned when she didn't sense any presences. She wished that they would just attack and get it over with; the anxiety of not knowing when they would strike was far worse than the actual battle would be. She looked at her comrades and noticed that they were just as annoyed with the situation as she was.<p>

* * *

><p>Several hours later the entire team was still running. They hadn't slowed even a bit but no one had the energy to complain, not even Jun.<p>

Abruptly, Sumiko stopped on a branch ahead of everyone else and Arei felt her hopes rise that they would finally get a break, and maybe even some lunch. Her hopes were dashed when she noticed the unfamiliar chakra signatures. She mentally sighed; so much for eating.

Arei's hand stealthily inched toward her weapons pouch. A few more centimetres and she could grab one. A blast of chakra infused air stopped her. She jumped back onto the branch Hotaru was on. The one she had been previously standing on was now reduced to a pile of firewood. Without exchanging any words the anbu sprang into action.

Sumiko flanked a group of three enemy shinobi stationed on the ground to the right of the anbu team. Arei jumped down from the treetops to deal with the caster of the wind jutsu that almost took her out a minute ago. Hotaru charged a different group head on while Jun took care of the few shinobi hiding in the trees.

To any other team it may have seemed weird how they all split up, but that had always been their battle plan. The majority of their techniques were suited to solitary fighting and that's why they made such a good team. If they had been with other people they would have been a liability while everyone else worked together; it was for this exact reason that anbu squad 13 had been put together. They were even purposely given the number 13 because any enemy that happened upon them just had plain bad luck.

Arei located each of her teammates so that she could refrain from hitting any of them, then went back to focusing on her target. She dodged the kunai that were flung at her as she made her way towards her enemy. Ignoring the sounds of fighting that came from every direction, she was upon him almost before he had time to blink; speed was one of her specialities.

The Suna ninja, as identified by his visible headband, shifted his stance to block the well-aimed kick to his side. Arei scoffed as she missed and flipped away before he had a chance to retaliate. He reached out to grab the anbu's retreating foot but she kicked his hand away as she landed safely a few feet from him. Without a moment's hesitation Arei launched herself forward, a fresh kunai in hand. The shinobi pulled out his own kunai and they were forced into a stalemate as their weapons clashed. The man's muscles gave him a clear advantage and he wasted no time in pushing the red head back.

Arei growled. As she jumped back her hands quickly formed several seals. Landing on a protruding branch she initiated her technique, "Water Style: Demon Wave Jutsu!" She raised up an arm and water began to birst from the ground and surge forward in a large stream that obliterated the entire area in front of her. Her eyes scanned the area for the shinobi. She smirked when she saw him a little ways away clutching his newly crushed side.

Pushing off from the branch she tightened her grip on her kunai. She appeared in front of the wounded man and plunged the blade deep into his throat. He collapsed, dead. Satisfied that it had truly been him and not a clone or replacement, Arei jumped back up into the canopy. Looking around she saw Jun crushing his opponents under tons of earth, Hotaru brushing the dust off himself as he walked away from a bloody mess smirking, and Sumiko finishing off the last enemy using his own weapon against him. The scarlet haired anbu moved to join her teammates when a voice from below stopped her.

"You've delayed my subordinates," the voice stated calmly. Arei whirled around and spotted a young man on the ground looking up at her with emotionless brown eyes. "Thanks to you and your team, I've been kept waiting." Orange orbs blinked when she saw that his focus had shifted to Sumiko, who had just emerged from the bushes.

"Well excuse us," The anbu captain replied, sarcasm evident, "If I had known you'd be this grouchy I would have killed them sooner."

"It really is a pain to have to replace them every other battle," he stated dully. Arei frowned, it sounded like this guy couldn't care less for the lives of those on his team.

"If you're here to avenge your fallen comrades then get on with it. I hate to be kept waiting," Sumiko said as she stared boredly at her nails.

The man's stance shifted. "It appears we agree on something." Those were the last words exchanged. With a flick of the man's finger both Sumiko and Arei were bombarded with senbon from several different angles.

Sometime during the conversation Arei had opted to look for her two remaining teammates which caused her to be entirely unprepared for the attack. Her attention snapped back to the two on the ground as the sharp objects hurtled towards her. She flipped expertly off the branch, managing to avoid getting even a single scratch. "A little warning would have been nice," she mumbled as she readjusted herself to not fall off her new perch.

Her only response was blank stares from both the Suna shinobi and her captain. She sweatdropped. Sumiko tch-ed at her flippant behaviour and went back on the assault, drawing the katana she kept strapped to her back. The weapon was intercepted by a cloaked figure that had rushed forward from a blind spot.

"Friend?" Sumiko questioned out loud before increasing the pressure on her katana. The figure's arm gave way with an odd sound. Her gaze hardened as realization dawned on her. She quickly jumped back to put as much distance as she could between the two of them. She moved just in time; seconds later the cloaked figure opened its mouth and let out another flood of senbon. The captain dodged them with pinpoint accuracy.

Arei moved to dodged as well. A single senbon wouldn't cause too much damage unless it hit a vital point, but with so many flying at her, the chances of that happening were exponential. Hotaru and Jun chose that moment to appear.

Jun grabbed Arei and pulled her out of the way of the oncoming attack. She squeaked at the sudden tug but didn't resist. The brunette suffered some minor scratches, but nothing that should compromise him.

Hotaru shifted to charge at the enemy but was stopped. "Forget about this guy," Sumiko advised. He opened his mouth to protest but was cut off. "I'll keep him busy while the rest of you head to the boarder and complete the mission." Her team immediately began to protest. "I'll catch up soon so just hurry up and go- the mission is our top priority. Arei-" Said girl straightened. "you'll be in charge."

Astonishment coated Arei's features. What the hell was Sumiko thinking?! Hotaru had seniority over her which meant that he should automatically take the lead. What could they possibly gain from her taking over instead? Arei caught Sumiko's eyes and noted that she was completely serious. She also noted that there was some sort of underlying urgency hidden in their depths which confused her. She sighed and steeled herself.

She turned on her heel and headed deeper into the forest. Hotaru followed after her right away, but Jun cast one last glance at their former captain before taking off as well.

"You did that to save them," the Suna shinobi stated dully once the rest of the team was out of earshot. He didn't really care what they did, in the end they would all meet the same fate.

"I did it to get rid of any distractions," Sumiko retorted, "Now I can focus entirely on you, Sasori of the Red Sand."

"So you've heard of me," he said as he flicked his wrist. Several puppets came forth from the surrounding foliage and settled into attack position. Sumiko growled. This was going to be a tough fight and one she may not walk away from.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure we should have just left her?" Jun questioned while they sped through the leaves. Arei bit her lip. No, she wasn't sure at all, but that type of thinking would have to be left for a later time; enemies could appear from any direction and they were now down a member.<p>

"Just keep moving," she commanded. Her friends were astonished by the authority her voice held. She was surprised herself.

"Yes captain," they chorused. The girl grimaced; the sound of it was so foreign.

They ran for a few minutes with Arei in the lead, Hotaru right after, and Jun bringing up the rear.

Jun pushed off a branch and winced. What the hell? Sure he may have pulled something in his last battle but an arm muscle shouldn't have anything to do with his running ability. The pain originated somewhere from his left side and was spreading ever so slowly.

Arei looked back at her friend, "Are you OK?" she questioned when she saw he had slowed down slightly.

He blinked. "Oh it's nothing, my wrist is a little wonky, but that shouldn't be a problem."

"I could heal it for you," Hotaru piped in.

"No- no it's fine. Save your chakra for any upcoming battles- a little pain is nothing to be alarmed at." Nothing to be alarmed at at all. With those thoughts in mind he dismissed the pangs as running cramps and pushed them to the back of his mind.

* * *

><p>"I can see the border!" Jun called out. Arei immediately quickened her pace. They had finally reached the Land of Fire's border. Now they just had to cross through the Land of Rivers, which would take another day at the most, then they would reach the end of their journey, the border to the Land of Wind. They probably should have been happier that they were officially halfway to their destination but an air of tension hung over them.<p>

"There's something that's been bothering me," Hotaru spoke up. "It's been an hour already and Sumiko hasn't caught up to us. Did she... do you think she fell in battle?" The tension broke. Now that the idea was out there it all of a sudden felt real. Up until that point they half expected Sumiko to pop up from behind them and scold them for being so slow.

"Nah," Jun said, trying to convince himself more than anyone else, "Sumiko's not that easy to kill."

Hotaru shook his head, "Just because she's anbu doesn't make her invincible. In fact, it makes us more of a target."

"You're right. The masks stand out."

The anbu instantly scattered at the sound of the new voice.

Arei looked down to the red haired shinobi that had just made his presence known. "How the hell did you sneak up on me?!" she exclaimed, angry at her own failure to detect him twice now.

He shrugged nonchalantly, "Your senses are dulled."

She scowled; apparently her skills were rusty after all the easy missions and time off. She should probably take a lesson from that eccentric Guy kid.

"You're the guy Sumiko was fighting, so where is she?!" Jun demanded.

"Dead."

"God damn it!" the brunette cried as he punched the closest tree. He winced as pain shot through his arm and side. Sasori stared blankly at them for a second before signalling a command. Several more Suna ninja appeared, surrounding the three remaining anbu.

"Oh for the love of God…" Are cursed as she rapidly began forming hand seals. A fog of poison mist interrupted her; she jumped down from her high branch only to be met with three enemies on the ground. As soon as her feet hit the ground she was forced into defence and dodging. Right. Left. Duck. Left. Right. Right.

It took a little while but she finally found an opportunity to strike. Flipping back she kicked out. Her foot connected with one of the guys' faces. He was knocked to the ground cursing. Without missing a beat the red haired anbu straightened up, drew a kunai, and launched herself towards another of the enemies. She slit his throat quickly and efficiently with as little blood as possible. Two down, one to go.

A little ways away Jun had completed a sequence of seals and called, "Earth Style: Landslide Jutsu!" The earth broke apart and began to head towards the area everyone was gathered at. Hotaru made his way to higher ground while breathing a huge ball of flame at Sasori and a couple of his subordinates. Sasori blocked it with some of his puppets, but the others weren't so fortunate. Their screams of pain echoed through the forest.

Arei was too preoccupied with her last opponent to have time to dodge the landslide. It hit her and almost every other Suna shinobi full force. She could hear her name being called but there was nothing she could do.

Her back smashed against the trunk of a tree knocking the breath out of her. The sturdy wood was all that kept her from being swept farther away but even it was creaking ominously. Finally she could feel the pressure lessen, although it didn't make much of a difference- she was still trapped under piles of dirt and rocks unable to move even a finger.

It didn't take long for black spots to make their way into Arei's vision. Breathing hurt as her chest pressed against the compact earth. Within a minute she had lost conscience- the last thing she heard were muffled shouts drawing nearer.

**A/N: This chapter was actually supposed to end at a different point, but it started getting really long and I was really anxious to post again so I'm putting it up. In other words, I already know exactly what is going to happen in the first couple pages of chapter 3.**

**Reviews greatly appreciated! Your thoughts on the chapter or anything at all would be awesome! Please and thank you! :D**


	3. Wartime Strife II

Slowly, orange eyes opened. Her mind was fuzzy and unable to string together coherent thoughts. Sounds were muffled and distorted and her vision wasn't much better. Blurry images danced around in rapid succession until a blob of brown, white and blue stopped right in front of her. Some more movement and now red joined the blend of colours.

When her head began to clear the first thing she noticed was that she was propped up nicely against a tree. The second thing she noticed was the air and how clear it was- as if she was outside. Her vision started clearing. The coloured blob became more focused, as well as all the sounds around her.

"ei... Arei..." The scarlet haired teen blinked. Someone was calling her.

"Y-yeah?" she answered shakily once she had found her voice.

"So I...got to you...in time...I'm glad..." the blob said in between laboured breaths. It was a vaguely familiar voice. As she recalled what was going on and what had happened, she recognized the voice as Jun's. Finally her vision refocused. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

Jun was on his knees in front of her clutching his stomach. Crimson blood flowed freely in between his fingers. Hotaru finished off the last remaining Suna shinobi and rushed to his teammates' side. "Jun! Arei!" he called .

"Hotaru," Jun said weakly. "Take Arei... and leave."

"No!" Arei protested. "You just saved my life we can't leave you! Hotaru!" She turned to the man. "You can heal him right?" When he didn't answer she tried again. "Right?!"

"No, he can't," Jun admitted. "Even if he heals the wound...he can't...counter the poison and...would just waste his chakra. You're... the top priority now, _captain_."

"Jun..." Arei said sadly, "You can't die, not like this. Not because of me."

He chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to go out in style- it'll be bright, loud, and best of all, rememberable."

Hotaru took Arei's arm lightly and helped the shocked girl to her feet. "We've got to go. Sasori of the Red Sand managed to escape the landslide- he's retreated for now but we're in no position to engage him again." She nodded numbly. As the reality of the situation bore down on her, she realized that she couldn't act like this. She wasn't a kid anymore and these kinds of feelings had no place on the battlefield. Wars had casualties, that was a well-known fact.

She took a deep breath to calm herself and withdrew her emotions. She gave Jun one last glance before leaving, glad that her mask hid her reddening eyes. What a great leader she turned out to be…

Once they were almost 200 meters away a loud sound emanated from the clearing they had left Jun at, followed by a brilliant flash of bright light that changed to blue and then purple before fading away. "Jun..." Arei mumbled sadly as she turned away from the colourful display. Not only was his death memorable, but it was also a distraction to draw the attention of nearby enemies as it could easily be mistaken for an ongoing battle.

"Just one more day," Arei stated, "and we'll be at the border. Once we see where the majority of the Suna forces are, we'll head back and report our findings to Sandaime."

* * *

><p>Another day had passed and they had managed to evade several enemy groups. Hotaru normally liked to attack head on, but with their attack force cut in half they opted to stick to the shadows. They hadn't seen head or puppet of Sasori since their last battle, however, that didn't mean they were in the clear. That man had a thing for sneaking up on them when they least expected it.<p>

Hotaru had healed all of Arei's injuries but there had been a lot of them. He was running low on chakra and would be forced to stick to taijutsu if they got into another fight. He was decent at taijutsu, but was the worst at it on the team.

Arei had been uncharacteristically quiet ever since Jun's death. Hotaru was stuck in an inner debate whether to break the silence or to leave her be.

In the end, Arei decided to break the silence. "Hotaru," she began, "you weren't poisoned in the last battle as well were you?"

He blinked. "No," he answered, "Why do you ask?"

"You've been getting slower and are more tired than you should be with the amount of distance we've covered today."

Hotaru sighed; so she had noticed. "Just a bit low on chakra. I should be fine but it would help if we ran on the ground instead of through the trees." She nodded and jumped down.

Her landing didn't make much noise, but she had unwittingly triggered a trap set by enemy shinobi. It wrapped around her foot and hauled her up into the air. "Oh for the love of god..." she cursed quietly as she dangled upside down.

Hotaru called her name before pulling out a kunai to cut her loose. The distinct clang of metal on metal sounded as his weapon was blocked. He tch-ed as he was forced to jump back.

"Konoha shinobi?" a blonde woman mused as she recognized their mask style. "I thought all your forces were concentrated in Kusagakure."

"The same could be said for you," Arei retorted, doing her best to retain her dignity as she hung upside down. "Why would Iwagakure ninja be all the way out here?"

"The same reason as you, I'd assume." She gave a sultry smirk in Hotaru's direction. Arei rolled her eyes. "Now then, would you like to come quietly as prisoners of war or should I dispose of you right now?"

"What makes you think we're so easy to kill?" Arei asked from directly behind the blonde Iwa shinobi. She whirled around to strike at the redhead but wasn't quick enough- black claws slashed her throat. The blonde was dead before she even hit the ground.

"Arei..." Hotaru warned quietly.

"I know," she responded, flexing her new claws. The trap must have set off some sort of alarm because they were surrounded by three other enemies. "I'm starting to think that the bad luck is being directed towards us this time..."

Arei glanced around. She knew that they really couldn't afford any more delays or casualties so she stealthily began to build up her chakra. If she brought out too much too fast, it would alert the others as to what she was doing. She trusted Hotaru to be able to figure out her strategy and replace himself with a clone while the others were distracted so he wouldn't be caught in the middle of the jutsu she planned to unleash.

Hotaru caught Arei's eyes and dropped his for a second before meeting them again. He had caught on.

Once Arei had a decent amount of chakra built up she formed broken sequences of hand seals at random intervals so they wouldn't be able to figure out the technique. About halfway through the hand seals she found herself unable to move. Her fate was finally being set in motion.

One of the Iwa ninjas stepped forward, hand raised. From his fingers she caught the glimmer of chakra strings. The other two ninjas rushed at Hotaru. Defence was all he could do with his chakra levels. He dodged their jutsu and weapons as best he could but it didn't take long for shuriken to stick out from all over his body.

The ninja who had Arei trapped studied his prey for a moment. He caught a glimpse of the translucent claws extending from her knuckles and something clicked. "Black claws? Why does that seem familiar?" he wondered out loud as he stared at her claws a while longer.

His eyes narrowed as he caught on. Keeping his right hand still he threw a kunai at Arei deliberately scratching her face. A streak of blood slid down her cheek. Black blood. His face gave way to a feral grin. "Ah, I see where the name comes from; features like a dragon and blood as dark as the night- you must be the Black Blood Dragon." The other two Iwa ninja exchanged glances. The Black Blood Dragon was infamous for her quick killing methods, overwhelming strength and fierce loyalty to her village. Even when caught and interrogated, she had not let slip a single piece of information. She was someone one should only fight if they outnumbered her four to one at the least.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not, does it really matter?" Arei questioned irritably.

"Our orders are to kill the Black Blood Dragon. No hesitation, no mercy, and no escape." The man stated. "Looks like your fate's been sealed."

With a flick of his finger her hands began forming seals against her will. She recognized them as the beginning of a suicide jutsu. Try as she might she couldn't break free from the puppet master jutsu.

As her hands formed the ox seal she sensed something was wrong. Her chakra was being forcibly drawn out of her and the trees and ground seemed to be emitting chakra as well. These two forces merged together to form something entirely different. Something she couldn't control.

The energy started to swirl around the red head. Arei's entire body began to burn. Hot pain seared through every muscle, every cell. The Iwa shinobi's jutsu was forcibly broken as an intense white light radiated from the girl's body. She fell to her knees, clutching her arms tightly around her and started to scream. The light covered everything. She could no longer see anything except for white- and she couldn't hear anything except for her own tortured screams.

The pain was the worst she had ever experienced. It felt as though her insides were melting and her blood was boiling in her; it became too much to bear and she gladly welcomed the darkness.

* * *

><p>Hotaru pulled out several shuriken and threw them to the ground. He clutched his wounded side as he lashed out at one of the Rock ninja. His fist connected with flesh and bone with a satisfying crunch. Blood poured from the ninja's broken nose.<p>

Hotaru scoffed as he jumped back over the dead body of one of the two enemies he was fighting. He had gotten a lucky shot in earlier while they were distracted with Arei's alias. Sometimes the mere mention of her name sent weaker foes fleeing- it sure was useful thing to have a well-known ninja on the team. His green eyes travelled to where his teammate was frozen. Summing up his chakra levels, Hotaru figured he had enough for one blast. If he timed it right he should be able to free Arei.

He was just starting his tiger seal when a bright light began to flow from said girl's body. He called out to her but the sound was drowned out by her screams. The light engulfed his friend and began spreading outward. It repelled anything that tried to touch it; trees were uprooted and everyone in the vicinity was blasted back. Hotaru crashed into a boulder, bashing his head violently and pushing the weapons already imbedded in him further in. He struggled to maintain consciousness after the light subsided as he looked for his fallen teammate. He scanned the entire area and couldn't find a trace of her. It was as if she had just vanished into midair.

The sound of footsteps drew his bleary attention.

* * *

><p>Back in Konoha, Minato leaned against a tree in what seemed like a casual manner, however, a closer look revealed a frown on his face. Something was wrong. He didn't know why he felt that way. There was a sinking feeling in his gut that he couldn't shake no matter how hard he tried.<p>

"Sensei?" Obito questioned tentatively. It looked like something was really bothering his teacher. Normally Minato wasn't the kind of person to let just anything get to him, but then again, they _were_ in the middle of a war. Cerulean orbs shifted to meet black ones.

The blonde shook his head as if to clear it and apologized to his team. "Sorry guys, but there's something I have to do. Just keep training hard, you don't need me to babysit you guys anymore. After all, you are all chunin now. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Kakashi didn't like the idea of their leader abandoning the team for personal reasons, but still gave a curt nod. Even he understood the stress a war put on people, especially those who had countless lives resting on their shoulders.

"Just make sure to come back safely," Rin said. Minato smiled. He had no intention of dying just yet.

Minato concentrated and quickly found the location of the marker he gave to Arei. Once he had the coordinates, he initiated his time-space ninjutsu. Within the blink of an eye he found himself in the middle of what must have been a battlefield. His eyes darted over everything before they settled on the crippled form of a Konoha anbu.

As he drew closer he recognized the boar mask. "Hotaru!" he called out. The man wearily raised his eyes to meet the concerned blue ones. "What happened? What caused this?"

"We were ambushed," Hotaru croaked, "Suna... then Iwa... Sumiko and Jun... Sasori got them."

Minato knew the anbu didn't have long left; he was bleeding from all over, and sounded like something had punctured his lung. He had a noticeable concussion. Hotaru had a couple more minutes at best.

"Arei..." Hotaru started again, pausing to take a ragged breath. "she... she's gone... I don't…" The once vibrant green eyes began to dull as the last of his life slipped away. The blond bowed his head as he destroyed Hotaru's body as was the custom.

When the blue flames faded and the anbu's ashes scattered to the wind, Minato let his eyes wander around the devastated area one last time. A little ways away he spotted a scorched area where the fallen trees were facing away from it. It looked like the kind of damage a bomb would cause- or a large scale suicide jutsu.

Arei, what did you do? He knew she was reckless and would rather die than be a burden to those she cared about, but had she really killed herself? Would she really leave Hotaru to fend for himself and take the easy way out? That didn't seem like her. Minato had known her for years, and none of this made sense. He tried once more, in vain, to search for her presence. When he failed he had no choice but to accept the truth; Arei was gone.

It was hard to imagine going back to the village knowing that she would never check up on him and his team again or invite him on some strange excursion when she was bored. He was hailed as a genius, the type that came once in a generation, but what good was he if he couldn't even save his closest friend?

He had a morbid expression as he prepared to teleport back to the village and inform the Hokage about the loss of an entire anbu squad.

As Minato set foot back into the village he swore he would never let something like this happen again. He would do whatever it took to save those precious to him: whatever it took.

**A/N: OK this chapter is shorter than my other two chapters because I figured this was an interesting place to end it.**

**Reviews greatly appreciated! Your thoughts on the chapter or anything at all would be awesome! Please and thank you! :D**


	4. Flash Forward

**A/N: I realize that my timing might be off by a couple years but I tried to make it as accurate as I could using what I know from the episodes and what Naturo Wiki told me. Frankly though, I'm planning on changing a lot of the storyline so it really shouldn't matter much.**

**Fair warning: I am changing many canon facts to suit my ideas better. You have been warned so I don't want to get reviews later of people saying "Actually Madara did this" and "What about Yahiko" etc. Please and thank you :D**

"Is... is it dead?" a voice asked timidly. A little boy with blue hair looked worriedly down at a still body.

"It isn't an _it_, it's obviously a girl," another voice stated matter-of-factly. This one belonged to the young boy's older sister, though not older by much; she was nine at the most. Arei groaned. Her head hurt like hell and her muscles refused to let her move. "Oh! It's- I mean, she's alive! Come on Kyo, we have to help her!"

"But grandpa said not to talk to strangers..."

"We won't talk to her then, just help her up."

"But isn't that- Oh! Wait! You shouldn't move!"

While the two kids were arguing Arei had ever so slowly begun moving. She first flexed each muscle individually to make sure nothing was too damaged. Next she heaved herself up into a sitting position, and then a kneeling position shortly after. She used one of her knees as a support to stand and that's when the kids took notice of her and starting protesting.

Her orange eyes scanned the area quickly, not paying the children any attention, and caught glimpses of a crater and charred ground. Was this all from the battle? What the hell had happened after she blacked out? Where was Hotaru and the rest of the shinobi? Had they all destroyed their bodies? Why was she all alone? There was no point in trying to figure everything out now, the answer wouldn't come from her just sitting there. So many questions ran through the anbu's mind that she had to physically shake her head to clear it. The kids took it as a sign of her disapproval and began to protest even more. She shushed them before voicing one of her own questions. "What happened?" Honestly, she wasn't expecting the children to be able to answer, but it helped her to voice her thoughts out loud.

The boy retreated to hide behind his sibling once he heard her raspy voice: hoarse from all the earlier screaming. The little girl stood her ground; however, it took her a moment to gather the courage to answer. "You mean here? Well grandpa said that during a really big war a bunch of people died here. Even now the grass and stuff hasn't started to grow here again."

The young boy, Kyo, perked up as his sister started explaining. He cut off what she was about to say and took over the explanation in a rather excited voice. "There was a really cool ninja battle here. It was Konoha versus Iwa. It must have been amazing 'cause no one survived!"

Arei frowned in confusion. No one survived? Grass still won't grow? The battle wasn't that long ago, was it? How long had she been out? She instinctively readjusted her mask as she finally got to her feet.

"Thanks for the information," she said as she took a tentative step forward. Her legs threatened to buckle underneath her weight but she forced herself to remain upright. "I need to get going though."

The little girl cried out in alarm. "Oh wait you can't! You're hurt! Let grampa treat you first!"

Apparently talking about ninja had loosened the boy up since even he spoke. "Don't you want to hear the rest of the story? I know lots more about ninja! I'm gonna become one when I'm older!"

The kunoichi gave a small chuckle and awkwardly ruffled his hair. Her muscles were still not responding as well as she would have liked but she couldn't resist the urge. To be honest though, if she tried to get back to the village in the state she was in, it would take almost triple the normal amount of time and she'd probably collapse the second she saw the gate. Not to mention the fact that she'd be a walking target, weak as she was. Deciding that it would be in her best interest to rest for at least a day, she gratefully took them up on their offer.

Both children broke out into smiles; each grabbed one of her hands and began to eagerly lead her towards their home. Arei winced at the pain that shot through her arms from what would normally be an insignificant gesture, but refused to let it show otherwise.

As the house came into view they finally let her go and ran up to the front door, happily calling out for their grandfather. The redhead weakly lifted a hand up to her mask and took it off. She knew it was against the rules but it gave her too ominous of an appearance: her torn up clothes and still rather fresh wounds did a fine job of that already. At least she didn't have to worry about her blood, its darkness could be attributed to the fact that it was mostly dried at this point. The children were being far more accepting than adults would ever be.

The door creaked open and an elderly man poked his head out. "Kyo, Keiko, what are you two so excited about?" With childish innocence they simultaneously pointed towards the wounded shinobi they had brought home with them. His face paled considerably when he saw her. Automatically he grabbed both children and pushed them behind himself as if to protect them. Arei gave a wry smile.

Kyo escaped his grandfather's grip and ran to stand between him and the redhead. "It's okay grampa! She just wants to know more about ninja! You should tell her some of the stories you tell us!"

Arei took a step forward and slowly raised her hands in a peaceful gesture. "I won't do anything, I swear. I'm so beat up you could probably take me down if I tried anyway."

"What village are you from?" He questioned roughly as he pushed Keiko inside the house and motioned for Kyo to follow after.

"The Hidden Leaf," she readily answered, not scared or ashamed to state her origins. "I won't stay if you don't want me though. I have to get back anyway." Saying that, she turned to leave but was stopped by a tiny hand.

"You're from the Hidden Leaf Village? Does that mean you know ninja?!" Kyo eagerly looked up at her with his large eyes.

Arei bit her lip and sighed. "Do you want to hear about it? I need a rest so I'll be around for a bit anyway. I'll be in the town for the next day, so come find me if you want." She flashed him a small smile and began to make her way to the nearby village.

"Okay!" Kyo called out after her, waving wildly. "It's a promise!"

* * *

><p>Arei had a wry smile as she stared into the eager face of the young boy. "I can't believe you really sought me out." She was mildly surprised, but happy all the same.<p>

Kyo tilted his head. "But you said you'd tell me stories, did you lie?"

The kunoichi ruffled his dark blue hair, wry smile still in place. "No, I didn't lie. I don't make promises I don't intend to keep."

Arei was sitting in a tea shop that was on the lower level of the inn she had stayed at last night; across from her at the same table sat Kyo. He was happily munching on dango Arei had bought with what little money she had left – most of it that had been destroyed by the intense fighting. After paying for a bath last night, the room at the inn, and now breakfast, she was running really low on cash; she had barely enough to spend another night in her room. Food would have to be found in the surrounding forest starting this evening, which wouldn't be that big of a problem for her so at least she didn't have to worry about that. Right now, recuperating was her top priority.

"So you know a lot of ninja right? What's the most amazing jutsu you've ever seen? Who's the strongest ninja you know?" Kyo had finished eating while Arei was lost in her thoughts about her current financial problem. His voice brought her attention back to the real world.

The redhead blinked and gave a small laugh. "Come on, I know I'm injured, but that doesn't mean I'm not strong. I'll have you know that I'm pretty awesome." She was purposely talking herself up and acting cheerful. The façade was important. She had to keep up the façade. If she was left alone her mind would just go around in circles trying to figure out what had happened and what was going on. There were so many unanswered questions. For instant, why did the town and its people have such a peaceful atmosphere, not the tense one that would normally be associated with a war. It didn't make any sense; nothing made any sense right now. She forcibly broke away from her thoughts again to reply to the blunet. "Hm, if I had to choose the strongest someone, besides the hokage which is far too obvious an answer, I'd have to say Minato."

"Who's that? Is he really that strong?" Curiosity peeked, he looked up at the kunoichi with large shining eyes.

Arei smiled serenely and began to talk to take her mind off things. "He's a jounin level ninja from Konoha who has his own pretty talented team. Enemy shinobi are actually warned to retreat as soon as they see him; he's really that powerful! There was this one time when we met on an assignment and-" She spent the next hour recalling fond memories about different missions she'd been on before the damned war started.

As she was speaking, Keiko had come looking for her brother. When she saw them together she silently sat down to listen in, and she wasn't the only one. As time wore on, other customers turned their attention to the redhead too, wanting to hear about the various life and death struggles, the failures and successes, the exciting yet cursed life of a ninja.

When Arei tore herself away from the past, she for the first time noticed the eyes of countless people staring at her. She awkwardly rubbed a hand to the back of her neck and flinched slightly from the pain. Putting on a smile, the redhead forced her still weary body to stand. "Well anyway, I think that's enough for today. I'm leaving tomorrow, but I'll be hanging around in the morning if anyone's interested." She said it jokingly, sticking out her tongue as she slowly made her way to her room on the second floor.

* * *

><p>"We'll see you again won't we?" Kyo asked, refusing to let go of Arei's sleeve until she answered.<p>

It was afternoon already, and time for the anbu to head back to her village. Honestly, she should probably rest for a couple more days, she was only at 50% at best, but her mind wouldn't give her peace. She had barely gotten any sleep the past two days; her mind was constantly trying to figure out what had happened and merely ended up going around in endless tormenting circles. If she didn't get back to the village soon, talk to the hokage and report on what was easily the worst failure in her ninja career, she'd probably go crazy. There were too many unanswered questions, and although she had tried asking the townspeople about it, they all just gave her strange looks. Most people took note of the numerous bandages wrapped around the girl and seemed to decide that she must have had some sort of head injury; they shook their heads and shot her awkward smiles and pitying gazes.

Arei broke herself from her thoughts for the umpteenth time that day, she finally answered the previously posted question. "I'm not really sure. I never know where I'll be sent for my next mission. But as long as I'm still around, I'll probably end up back here someday."

"Promise?" the siblings asked in perfect synchronicity. Arei smiled slightly. She might be killed before she ever got another chance to visit this country again. There are never any guarantees in the ninja world. The children however, took the smile as a good sign and smiled right back at her. The kunoichi ruffled their hair one last time before turning and leaping onto a nearby branch.

They kept calling out their goodbyes until she was lost from their sight.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Arei had stopped high up in a tree. She was propping herself up using the thick tree trunk and breathing heavily. "Maybe I set off too soon…" she voice aloud, tired of the silence that travelling alone entailed. Alone. She was alone and it was her fault. If she had been a better leader. If she had paid more attention. If she had- No. That was enough. Dwelling on it now wouldn't accomplish anything. Once she was back in the village, in her own bed, she could reflect and beat herself up about it, but not now. Now she had to compartmentalize. Forcing her heavy body to move, she set off once again.<p>

Days passed before the gate was in sight. If she wasn't so tired she would have jumped for joy. As she drew closer Arei jumped down from the treetops and took out her anbu mask. Replacing it on her face she took a deep breath and went through the village's entrance. Going from rooftop to rooftop the shinobi soon arrived at the Hokage's mansion. Noting that there was no one inside the office besides the Third, she silently slipping into the room and kneeled in front of the large wooden desk.

"I apologize my report is so late," Arei said, head bowed low. Regardless of the circumstances, anbu were expected to remain calm. As much as she wanted to cry out or punch a hole into something, she swallowed those raging emotions. Thankfully, the effort to restrain herself, also kept her mind from wandering from the task at hand.

Silence reigned for a moment before Sandaime spoke. "Is something wrong?" He sounded confused, calm, but confused.

"On our way towards the Land of Rivers we can into contact with the enemy. Sumiko stayed behind and-" Her report was cut off by a wave of his hand.

"Raise your head." She did as instructed. Her orange eyes, hidden in the shadow of her mask, locked onto his concerned black ones. They stared at each other for a bit before he told her to take off the plastic covering her face. Hesitantly, the kunoichi complied. As her face was revealed, his eyes widened. "Arei…? What…?"

The redhead raised a hand to her face, checking for any wounds that could cause the Third Hokage to look so unnerved. "I know I'm pretty banged up but it's not like this is the first time. You don't have to look like you've seen a ghost." She furrowed her brows, unsure of what was wrong.

Sandaime slowly stood from his seat and walked towards her. Once he was right in front of her, he placed a hand on her head. It was a gentle touch, as if he was afraid she'd disappear upon contact.

"Lord Hokage?" Arei asked, her gaze wavering. Had he already heard what had happened? Was that why he looked so sad and astonished?

His next words made no sense to her in the slightest. "You haven't changed at all."

"Changed?" she echoed. "I suppose not. It's only been about a week."

The Hokage took his hand off her head and instead pulled down on his hat, partially hiding his expression. From what she could see he looked troubled: immensely troubled. "A week huh? Just a week…" He was talking to himself, but she heard him anyway.

Arei stared up at her superior, unsure of what she should be doing. "I understand that with the war going on that we-"

"There is no war."

She blinked. "What…?"

He extended his hand to her, the injured kunoichi took it and was carefully pulled to her feet. They stood, staring at each other, as the Hokage began to speak again. "The war ended. Almost 15 years ago."

Whatever Arei was about to say next died in her throat. Had she heard wrong? 15 years ago? That was impossible. But… That _would_ explain why when she woke up all the bodies were gone with no signs of scorching from the extermination that should have taken place. It would also explain why everyone in that village had been so carefree. The war was over? How could that possibly be true? But, the Third wouldn't lie to her. The Third would never joke about something like this.

Sensing the kunoichi's doubts and confusion, the Hokage continued slowly. "The Third Shinobi World War started 16 years ago and ended after a single year. Peace has reigned for over a decade now and a new generation has sprung forth. So much has happened, but Arei… I'm so glad you're alive."

"Sir… I- I…" Arei chocked on her own words. Sandaime place a comforting hand on the redhead's shoulder and slowly began to recount what had happened during her apparent absence. He told her about how Minato had gone to look for her and reported the loss of the entire team. He told her about Kannabi Bridge and what happened to Obito and Rin. He mentioned how Minato had been promoted to Fourth hokage, but before the joy could set in, she was hit with the news of his death during the Ninetails attack.

Arei took an involuntary step back as if she wanted to escape from the news. Her hands curled into fists, nails dug into her already injured self, drawing more black blood that dripped onto the floor. When the Hokage paused to give her a moment to compose herself, she merely stared at him, determination brewing in her wavering eyes. It was like pulling out a kunai, it should be done quick and all at once; the longer you wiggled it around trying to lessen the impact and pain, the more damage you did in the long run. Understanding her wishes, he continued.

Hours went by as the last 15 years of Konoha's history explained to Arei. By the end of it, the girl was ready to just sink to the floor in utter shock. Realizing that she was at her limit, both physically and emotionally, the Hokage arranged for her a place to stay. Having been declared as KIA, her apartment and belongings had been seized and redistributed.

She had nothing left: no home, no clothes, no friends. Nothing.

**Reviews greatly appreciated! Your thoughts on the chapter or anything at all would be awesome! Please and thank you! :D**

**Yes I am going to put this at the end of every chapter since some people haven't figured out that reviewing is a good and easy thing XD**


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